Handbag frame



Aug. 25, 1964 Filed NOV. 16, 1961 s. A. LEONARD! 3,145,748

HANDBAG FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet l Salvo/ore A. Leonard! INVENTOR.

1964 s. A. LEONARDI 3,145,748

HANDBAG FRAME Filed Nov. 16, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Salvo/ore A. Leonardi INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,145,748 HANDBAG FRAME Salvatore A. Leonardi, 154 N. Seneca St., Weedsport, N.Y. Filed Nov. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 152,856 7 Claims. (Cl. 150-459) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in handbags, and in particular the invention concerns itself with certain improvements in the construction of metallic handbag frames, that is, hinge-equipped frames for use at the mouth of handbags for opening and closing the same.

Persons conversant with the state of the art to which the present invention relates are aware that it is old in the art to provide a pair of complemental hinged frames for use on picnic bags, diaper-bags and, generally speaking, various forms of handbags. For example, handbag frames have been and are being made from wide steel band stock. A typical patent showing frames of such construction is Patent No. 2,795,258 granted to M. J. Berry et a1. and wherein wideband frames made up of individual straps or band members are shown and embodied for use in the mouth portion of a diaper bag. To the ends herein desired and taking into consideration manufacturing problems and economical feasibility it has been found that a more satisfactory solution of the problem is that herein disclosed wherein Wire frames instead of metal band frames are used.

Accordingly, the use of shaped wire in place of fiatfaced steel bars (steel bands or strap metal) has been found to be an acceptable solution of the problem. To the ends desired, the wire is bent into U-shaped form and the legs thereof are provided with offset terminal portions which are secured in a unique manner to plate-type leaves of spring-biased hinges. (See Reissue Patent 24,600 reissued on February 17, 1959.) These one-piece formed wire frames result in the provision of an overall adaptation which is light in weight, provides torsion quality superior to that present in fiat bar stock and results in a product which is salable at a significantly lower price.

One aspect of the overall invention has to do with a pair of leaf hinges, each hinge embodying plate-like leaves and the leaves being normally opposed and joined to each other in hinged folding relationship. Corresponding ends of the leaves are provided with assembling and hinging kunckles assembled and joined together by a cooperatively oriented hinge pintle. One of the knuckles is provided with a struck out tangentially projecting cam constituting a detent. The other hinge leaf is provided with a resilient tang whose free end portion is cooperative with the detent.

Novelty is predicated in part on the foregoing hinge means but more particularly on the combination therewith of U-shaped frames formed from round substantially rigid rod stock. The leg portions are of a cross-section appreciably less than the cross-sectional width of the aforementioned hinge leaves. The leg portions have inwardly offset end portions which are superimposed upon intended exterior surfaces of adjacent cooperating hinge leaves and fixedly joined thereto. Thus constructed and arranged the outer marginal edges of the cooperating hinge leaves provide the desired flush relationship between the leg portions and said marginal edges.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a metallic handbag frame which is simple in construction, very durable and efficient in use, which can be easily and 3,145,748 Patented Aug. 25, 1964 economically manufactured, and which is readily adaptable for embodiment in handbags of various sizes and types.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a handbag frame in accordance with the invention, the handbag being shown by dotted lines to illustrate its relationship to the frame;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1 and showing by dotted lines the frame in its open position;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view illustrating the attachment of a leg of one of the frame members to its hinge leaf;

FIGURE 4 is a view, similar to that shown in FIGURE 3 but illustrating a modified form of attachment of the leg to the hinge leaf;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the hinges in its open position, with legs of the frame members attached thereto;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing a modified form of the frame;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the spring-biased hinge and the manner in which they are individually constructed to provide the hinge construction illustrated, for example, in FIG. 5; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view show ing the lefthand end portion of the hinge and frame means appearing to the right thereof at the bottom of FIG. 6, said view being on an enlarged scale and serving to illustrate the details of construction adequately.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURES l-5 inclusive, the handbag frame in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and embodies in its construction a pair of complemental frame members 14 which are connected together by spring hinges 16 so that they may be swung between open and closed positions of the mouth of a handbag 18 in which the frame is embodied.

Each of the frame members 14 is substantially 'U -shaped and formed integrally from a round metal rod or wire. As such, each frame member includes an elongated bight portion 20 and a pair of legs 22 extending from the ends of the bight portion, the free terminal end portions of the legs being inwardly offset as indicated at 24. The offset portions 24 are coplanar with the legs 22 and bight portion 20.

Each of the spring hinges 16 comprises a pair of simi larly constructed complemental hinge leaves; namely, 26 and 2%, respectively. The hinge leaf 26 (FIG. 7) is provided at the center of its lower end with a single hinge knuckle 30 the median or central portion of which is struck out in a manner to provide an outwardly projecting cam which, in turn, constitutes a detent 36. The lower end of the other hinge leaf 28 is provided with a pair of aligned spaced knuckles 32 which are aligned with the intervening knuckle 30 whereby to thus provide cooperating bearings for the hinge pin or pintle 34. The central portion of the hinge leaf 28 is also provided with an integral spring finger or tang 38 which is yieldingly engageable with the detent 36 whereby said hinge leaves 26 and 28 are spring-biased into opposed approximate parallelism and accordingly are suitably adapted to spring open and snap shut. It follows that the relationship of the spring finger 38 to the detent 36 is such as to bias the hinge to its open position during opening movement and to its closed position during the intended closing movement.

The offset end portions 24 of the frame member legs 22 are secured to the hinge leaves 26, 28 as shown in FIGURES 1-3 by swedging the portions 24 as indicated at 40 and welding the same to the hinge leaves, as at 42. Alternatively, as shown in FIGURE 4, the portions 24 may be swedged as at 44 and a pair of rivets 46 provided in the hinge leaf at opposite side edges of the swedged portions so as to firmly secured them in place. The side edges of the swedged portions 44 may be notched to provide seats for the rivets, whereby to prevent the swedged portions from being withdrawn longitudinally from between the rivets.

In either event it is to be noted that the inwardly offset portions 24 of the legs 22 permit the outwardly disposed marginal surfaces of the legs to be flush or aligned with the outer side or marginal edges 48 of the hinge leaves while the offset portions are secured centrally to the hinge leaves, that is, centrally between the outer and inner side edges of the leaves to afford a proper, balanced unstrained hinge opening and closing action.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a modified embodiment of the handbag frame t) which, like the frame 10, comprises the U-shaped metal rod or wire frame members 14, having the legs thereof secured to the spring hinges 16. However, in this instance four hinges rather than two hinges are utilized, one hinge for each frame member leg, and the four hinges are connected together in pairs by flat metallic bands or straps 52 which are secured to the hinge leaves by rivets, or the like. As will be readily apparent, the frame members 14 of the embodiment 5i) fold substantially fiat on the bands 52 when the frame is closed, whereby the mouth of the handbag is similarly fiat when in its closed position.

It will be evident that both FIGS. 3 and 4 serve to bring out clearly that the terminal of the leg is superimposed upon the exterior surface of the hinge leaf (28, for example) to which it is welded or riveted in the manner shown in FIG. 4. This point of attachment is in line with the spring tang. Moreover the point of attachment is located centrally between the two lengthwise edges, the edge to the left and the edge to the right in both FIGS. 3 and 4. This construction accounts for the balance and torsion feature previously mentioned. Then, too, it will be noted that the lefthand surfaces of the legs or leg portions 22 are in line with the left or outer marginal edges 48 of the spring joined hinging leaves 23 and 26.

It will be further noted that each leg has a major portion which is in alignment with the outer marginal edge of the hinge leaf (FIGS. 3 and 4). This construction is advantageous in respect to balance and distribution of stress and strain as a result of the offset end portion 24 anchored on the median or centralized portion of the hinge leaf with which it cooperates. Experience has shown that by utilizing offset terminal ends on the legs the spring hinges have been found to be practical for commercialization purposes and lend themselves adaptable to both welding and riveting of the offset ends 24, as illustrated in the views of the accompanying drawings.

While in the foregoing there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a handbag frame, the combination of a substantially U-shaped frame member formed integrally from a round metal rod and including an elongated bight portion and a pair of legs at the ends of said bight portion, and spring hinge means secured to said legs, said hinge means for each leg including a plate-shaped hinge leaf having inner and outer side edges, a hinge pin on said leaf extending transversely between said inner and outer side edges and parallel to said bight portion of the frame member, each leg having a major portion substantially in alignment with the outer side edge of the hinge leaf and an inwardly offset free end portion rigidly secured to the hinge leaf substantially centrally between the inner and outer side edges of the leaf and at right angles to the axis of said hinge pin.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a weld rigidly securing said offset free end portion of said leg to said hinge leaf.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a pair of rivets provided at transversely spaced points on said hinge leaf, said free end portion of said leg being flattened and secured by and between said rivets to said leaf.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said flattened free end portion of said leg has opposite side edges thereof provided with notches constituting seats for said rivets.

5. For use in the construction of a handbag, at least one handbag frame member formed from rod stock bent into desired U-shaped form and embodying a bight portion between and connecting corresponding ends of leg portions, said leg portions having free laterally bent offset terminal end portions, and hinge means embodying at least one pair of substantially flat coplanar hinge leaves, the offset terminal portions being superimposed upon and affixed to median portions of their respective leaves midway between the lengthwise marginal edge portions of said leaves.

6. A handbag frame comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced coplanar parallel fiat substantially rigid bands of corresponding construction and length, spring loaded normally closed hinging leaves each of a width but corresponding approximately to the width of the band with which it connects, said hinging leaves being spring biased to positions in opposed approximate parallelism with the end portions of the bands with which they cooperate, and a pair of substantially duplicate U-shaped frames made from round substantially rigid wire stock, said frames each having a bight portion and leg portions at the ends thereof, the end portions of the respective legs being laterally and inwardly offset and being superimposed upon and affixed to median portions of their respective hinge leaves, the bight portions of the frames spanning the space between the respective bands and thus assembling the bands and U-shaped frames and providing a structural ready-to-use entity.

7. In a handbag frame construction, a pair of leaf hinges, each hinge embodying a plate-like leaf and said leaves being normally opposed to each other in folded closed relationshi corresponding ends of said leaves being provided with assembling and hinging knuckles assembled and joined together by a hinge pintle on which said knuckles are hingedly mounted, a median portion of one of said knuckles being struck out and providing a projecting cam, the latter constituting a detent, the other hinge leaf having an intermediate resilient tang providing a retaining tongue and the free end portion thereof being cooperative with said detent whereby the hinges cooperate to spring open and snap shut, and a pair of similar U-shaped frames, each frame formed from round substantially rigid rod stock, each frame having a bight portion provided at ends thereof with lateral leg portions, said leg portions being of a cross-section appreciably less than the cross-sectional width of the aforementioned hinge leaves, said leg portions having terminal laterally and inwardly offset end portions superimposed upon exterior surfaces of adjacent cooperating hinge leaves and being fixedly joined thereto, outer marginal edges of the respective leg portions being lined up with corresponding outer marginal edges of the cooperating hinge leaves.

Zifl? Feb. 17, 1959 Isidor Jan. 27, 1914 6 Stuart July 19, 1927 Pawlicek Dec. 20, 1932 Reilly June 2, 1936 Hanle Jan. 31, 1939 Wachs et a1 June 6, 1939 Hammesfahr Feb. 23, 1954 Berry et a1 June 11, 1957 Ziif Nov. 15, 1960 Kemmer Aug. 7, 1962 Kahn June 11, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Mar. 20, 1951 Italy Nov. 7, 1951 France July 24, 1939 

5. FOR USE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HANDBAG, AT LEAST ONE HANDBAG FRAME MEMBER FORMED FROM ROD STOCK BENT INTO DESIRED U-SHAPED FORM AND EMBODYING A BIGHT PORTION BETWEEN AND CONNECTING CORRESPONDING ENDS OF LEG PORTIONS, SAID LEG PORTIONS HAVING FREE LATERALLY BENT OFFSET TERMINAL END PORTIONS, AND HINGE MEANS EMBODYING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT COPLANAR HINGE LEAVES, THE OFFSET TERMINAL PORTIONS BEING SUPERIMPOSED UPON AND AFFIXED TO MEDIAN PORTIONS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE LEAVES 